The present invention relates to a cassette loading apparatus for moving a tape cassette in a direction from an insert position to a loaded position or in the opposite direction thereto.
A conventional cassette loading apparatus of this type is shown in FIG. 5. In FIG. 5, a cassette receiving portion 1 for receiving and holding a tape cassette (not shown) has a lower side wall in which a guide slot 1a is formed so as to extend in a horizontal direction. A base plate 2 is fixedly formed on a chassis (not shown) and has a side wall in which is formed is a guide slot 2a in the form of an arcuate shape. A first link 8 and a second link 9 are connected at their centers to each other to form a cross-shape or cruciform. The first link is pivotally connected at one end to the side wall of the cassette receiving portion 1, and is provided at the other end with a pin 11 implanted therein and slidably engaged with the guide slot 2a of the base plate 2. On the other hand, a pin 10 implanted at one end of the second link 9 is slidably engaged with the guide slot la of the cassette receiving portion 1, and the other end thereof is pivotally supported to the base plate 2. Although one set of the cruciform or cross links 8, 9 is shown in FIG. 5, another set of cruciform links is provided in the apparatus between the other side wall of the cassette receiving portion 1 and another base plate having the same configuration as that of the above described base plate 2, so that the respective sets of the cruciform links are operated in synchronism with each other by means of a suitable shaft (not shown).
In the thus constructed cassette loading apparatus, the tape cassette (not shown) is to be inserted in a direction indicated by the arrow into the cassette receiving portion in the raised position (i.e., insert position) shown in FIG. 5. Under this condition, the cassette receiving portion 1 is pressed toward the base plate 2, the cross links 8 and 9 are collapsed with their pins 10 and 11 being slid along the respective guide slots 1a and 2a. As a result, the tape cassette is moved to the loadable position (i.e., loaded position) together with the cassette receiving portion 1.
As described above, the conventional cassette loading apparatus must use the cross two-link mechanism having the two links 8 and 9. Therefore, in order to connect both the links 8 and 9 to the cassette receiving portion 1 and the base plate 2, a large number of mechanical parts (for example, pins 10 and 11) are required as well as the connecting pin 12 for connecting the links 8 and 9 to each other. This is one of factors which prevents substantial reduction in manufacture cost.